Calculating Football Volume with Shells Method - Calc Quest

  • Thread starter Thread starter courtrigrad
  • Start date Start date
AI Thread Summary
To calculate the volume of a standard football, it is more accurate to represent it as a prolate spheroid rather than an ellipse. The volume can be determined using the formula for an ellipsoid or by applying the method of shells. A practical approach suggested is to measure the volume of water displaced when the football is submerged. The discussion also humorously contrasts American football with the spherical shape of soccer balls, implying a preference for the latter. Overall, the conversation emphasizes the importance of accurate geometric representation in volume calculations.
courtrigrad
Messages
1,236
Reaction score
2
How would you find the volume of a standard football? Would you just represent it as an ellipse, and use the method of shells to evaluate the volume?

Thanks :smile:
 
Physics news on Phys.org
What do you mean "just represent it as an ellipse"? An ellipse is a two-dimensional object and a foot-ball is not. I presume you meant "an ellipsoid". If you know the formula for volume of an ellipsoid, go ahead and use it. If you don't then you would probably find the volume of an ellipsoid by using the method of shells anyway.
 
Actually, he ought to find the volume of a prolate spheroid, but I don't like American football to begin with, so it is a complete mystery to me why I entered this thread in the first place only in order to post a thouroughly anal comment about something I loathe.
 
Put in a fixed volume of water, and collect the displaced amount - EUREKA!

- Ben
 
See this sort of complicated problem wouldn't have arisen if you Americans played normal football with a nearly spherical object like the rest of the world. :biggrin: LOL

At any rate, this link might help : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prolate_spheroid
 
Last edited:

Thread 'Struggling to understand the concept of this question (ice cube in water optics question)'

TL;DR Summary: I came across this question from a Sri Lankan A-level textbook. Question - An ice cube with a length of 10 cm is immersed in water at 0 °C. An observer observes the ice cube from the water, and it seems to be 7.75 cm long. If the refractive index of water is 4/3, find the height of the ice cube immersed in the water. I could not understand how the apparent height of the ice cube in the water depends on the height of the ice cube immersed in the water. Does anyone have an...
View full post »
Thread 'Variable mass system : water sprayed into a moving container'

Thread 'Variable mass system : water sprayed into a moving container'

Starting with the mass considerations #m(t)# is mass of water #M_{c}# mass of container and #M(t)# mass of total system $$M(t) = M_{C} + m(t)$$ $$\Rightarrow \frac{dM(t)}{dt} = \frac{dm(t)}{dt}$$ $$P_i = Mv + u \, dm$$ $$P_f = (M + dm)(v + dv)$$ $$\Delta P = M \, dv + (v - u) \, dm$$ $$F = \frac{dP}{dt} = M \frac{dv}{dt} + (v - u) \frac{dm}{dt}$$ $$F = u \frac{dm}{dt} = \rho A u^2$$ from conservation of momentum , the cannon recoils with the same force which it applies. $$\quad \frac{dm}{dt}...
View full post »

Similar threads

Volume's effect on buoyancy: Does pressure increase?
Replies
11
Views
2K
Polarization of a solid sphere of nonconducting material
Replies
1
Views
1K
Trouble solving for end state of two control volumes in a rigid tank
Replies
12
Views
2K
How to calculate freezing time for a moist food by-product (75% water)
Replies
6
Views
696
E&M: Gauss' Law Surface Charge Density
Replies
4
Views
1K
Calculate ideal-gas temperature of a material
Replies
2
Views
2K
Question about problem solving approach to Gauss' Law
Replies
7
Views
2K
Calculating Moment of Inertia for Hollow Cylinder w/ Water
Replies
40
Views
5K
Electrostatic Potential Energy stored outside a shell.
Replies
1
Views
4K
MHB Revolving Volume of R on x=3 using Shell Method
Replies
2
Views
1K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top